Around Ihe Greens

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31598, 8 February 1968, Page 6

Around Ihe Greens

Major bowls fixtures for the week ending February 14 are:

Today: electric light tearnament at Beckenham. Saturday: aecond day of the Open Pain; Christchurch v. Akaroa at Akaroa; all day tournament at Burwood (triples). Sunday mixed tournaments at Amberley, Beckenham, Redcliffs, Riccarton WJH.C. (1 p.m.) and Shirley. Sunday tournaments at Darfleld, ML Pleasant, Oxford, Southbridge, Waihora, Ashburton elub and M.S.A. Monday: electric light tournaments at Beckenham and Linwood. Tuesday: electric light tournaments at Cashmere, Redcliffs and Oxford. Wednesday: electric light tournament at Kaiapol WJH.C.; all day tournament at Christchurch; secretaries v. treasurers at United. Bowler Retires

“Bowling has really been my life,” said the veteran campaigner puffing on a cigarette. He looked at the cigarette and joked: “These are the things that kill you.” G. Williams decided this season to give up bowls and the St Albans club are missing the services of this bowler who established a reputation both as a player and an administrator. He has been suffering from ill-health. Williams was a masterly draw player and his ability at head building and tactical play brought him success at club and centre level.

He started playing bowls

about 1923 when working for the Christchurch Tramways. At that time the late J. Martin, who was the postmaster at Sumner, was playing for the Sumner dub, and he got Williams interested in the game.

Williams’s most successful years were between 1940 and 1948 when a member of Edgeware. In that time he won four dub singles championships and the champion of Champion Pairs in 1945, 1946 and 1947 with P. G. Martin as the lead. In 1946 Williams won the Champion of Champion Pairs and Fours supported by E. C. Velvin, K. R. Smith and P. G. Martin. He won the pairs in 1941 and 1948 (with Martin on the latter occasion) and the fours in 1944 and 1948. Smith skipped the 1948 pairs win. At St Albans he won the club singles in 1953-and 1956, and the pairs in 1958 (with K. R. Smith), 1960 and 1964 (with M. O. Sinclair). Williams skipped the winning rinks in 1954, 1960, 1961 and 1966.

Williams has his Gold Star with seven centre titles. Converted Horse Paddock From horse paddock to rubbish dump to bowling green. That is an abbreviated history of an unusually-sited bowling club which included among its first members the local stationmaster, butcher and baker.

The Imperial club at Addington sits under the shadow of a bleak, forbidding red brick building of a past

era, a flourmill built in 1891 for Wood Brothers; Ltd, who still occupy the premises. The surroundings may be 'depressing, but the green provides not only recreation for

club members, but a lunchtime occupation for staff members who wish to play with club members. About

40 persons belong to the club which got its name from a company product. The inaugural meeting of the club, was held on August 27, 1924, and of the original 45 members, only nine were not employed by the firm. Opening day was in October of that year, but the green had been in existence for about two years before that. In 1927, a croquet club was formed on the premises near the bowling green, but this did not remain for long. Also in. 1927, the annual competition against Aulsebrooks was started and these games continued until the Aulsebrooks green was built over after World War 11. The year 1927 appears to have had its problems for the club, as the minutes from a meeting on February 2 indicate: "The Secretary was instructed to write to Wanganui Bowling Club re killing worms and grass grubs.” In 1950, new clubrooms were built with volunteer labour at a cost of about S6OO. For sometime the green was used by soldiers from the nearby camp on their Wednesday sports afternoon, but this stopped When the army decreed that bowls was not a sport Two Old Cups While he was browsing through the various trophies in the Canterbury club’s pavilion recently, the greenkeeper (Mr W. H. Cooke) brought out two interesting cups.

One is the trophy which was presented to a rink that won what is believed to be the first national tournament in 1887. There were believed to be 11 entries for the tournament which was held at the Dunedin Hospital Green. The inscription reads: “N.Z. Bowling Association Tournament, February 1887, Ist Prize, Won By Canterbury Club, 11 Feb. 1887. (1) H. Toomer sen, (2) W. Thomson, (3) D. H. Christie, (4) F. Hobbs.” The other cup, which is hand-made and of sterling silver, was also won by the Canterbury club at Dunedin. Its inscription reads: ‘N.Z.B.A. Exhibition Champion Rink Tournament. Ist Prize won by Canterbury Club January 29, 1890. Champion team W. Savage, V. W. Parsons, E. C. Ashby, B. Hale (skip).” Both trophies were won under the auspices of the original New Zealand Bowling Association. Offer to Skoglund P. C. Skoglund confirmed recently that an all-expenses paid visit to Sydney for a big tournament in May had been offered to him. Skoglund represented New Zealand in the singles at the World Championships at Sydney in 1966, and proved popular with the spectators. It is also understood that the English bowler, D. Bryant, has been invited to compete at Sydney. Bryant won the singles title at the championships. It is currently not known whether or not Skoglund will accept the offer. World Championship* “I think sponsorship ia essential if the tournament 1* to be held in New Zealand but the economic situation of New Zealand is now unfavourable for such spon-

sorship,” said the president of the New Zealand Bowls Association (Mr Jolly) recently. He was commenting on the chances of New Zealand’s holding the world championships in 1971. He said the association expected the tournament to cost at least SIOO,OOO. An alternative to sponsorship would be the unpopular move of levying players throughout the country. The course of having each attending country paying part or all of its expenses would lead to fewer entries, said Mr Jolly. . Opawa Matches In the Champion Pairs, there are four teams left, each with one life. These teams are skipped by R. Croft, F. French and R. Cresswell, and last year’s winner, K. Murray. There have been many close games in this competition, several needing an extra head to decide the match. There is only one team (with B. Scott as skip) which has its two lives intact in the Champion Rinks. Five others (skipped by Murray, Croft, French, Rowe and Larcombe) have one life each. In the singles six players still have both their lives intact: K. Murray, C. Rowe, R. Croft, J. O’Halloran, R. Green and R. Cresswell. There are four rounds to go. A. Wilkinson and H. Kerr still have two lives in the Colts Championship and both are showing good form for young players. Christchurch W.M.C. G. Glasgow and J. Taylor again played well in colts championship games and each has two lives intact with their two further wins. W. Treves had a good win also. M. Bhunda, who is believed to be the only Indian playing bowls in New Zealand, is showing promise. The club does have an international look about it with members also from Australia, Scotland and England and Maori players. Sydenham The championship pain are nearing an interesting stage with W. Bowden and K. Perry (skip) the only two-lifers remaining. The other pairs still in are H. King and W. Hocking (skip), A. Richards and C. Gibson (skip) and F. Matthews and A. Britten (skip). Dalllngton There was a surprise in the pairs semi-final when H. Parker and R. Lancaster (a replacement for A. Aldridge) beat G. Rowland and D. Griffin, 19-16. In the other semi-final, J. McAllister and D. Stuart beat E. Boag and G. Garven, 20-15. F. Tucker, H. Mitchell, R. Lancaster and G. Goodall had a good win in the fours against R. Pirrie’s rink, 22-16. It was a semi-final. In the other semi-final, L. McKendry*s rink is to play J. Garven’s rink. The singles have reached the quarter finals and the only player with two lives is D. Stuart who is in excellent form this season. T. O. Chinnery Edgeware club sustained a sad loss with the sudden death of T. O. Chinnery recently. He had been a member for 25 years, and had been a keen worker for the club. He was president for two

terms, 1963 and 1964. Earlier he was a selector and was for many years secretary. At the time of his death he was a member of the management committee. His name appeared many times on the honours board of the club, the first time in 1945 and the last in 1965. His singles successes were in 1949, 1956, 1963 and 1965, and in the pairs, 1953, 1957 and 1964. In the fours in 1945, he was lead, but in 1952 and 1953, he was the winning skip. He won the Canterbury Open singles in 1951, and was a member of the 1948 winning Edgeware team in the Christmas fours skipped by C. Hamilton, now of South Brighton. Also in that team were J. E. Greenslade, now of Shirley club, and W. L. Bell of St. Albans club. Cashmere K. Donaldson beat L. G. Jones in a close game to win the championship fours. The win was well merited, as Donaldson's team-mates, F. Burgoyne, H. Kent and E. Cox, handled the difficult conditions more consistently than did E. Bohan, R. Austin, G. James and L. Jones. Donaldson’s team is performing so well that club members would not be surprised to see it do well in the Champion of Champion Rinks. In tiie colts competition, W. Murdoch has two lives and is to meet W. Burgess in a game which could virtually amount to the final. South Brighton R. Hewitt and P. Meier won the pairs championship for the third season in succession. This is the only club title decided so far. Pairs Second Day The second day of the Open Pairs will be held on Saturday, and the third day has yet to be arranged. A team of visiting bowlers from Queensland arrives in Christchurch on February 14, and it will play against local officials and club representative* at Beckenham on the afternoon of February 15. The team comprises about 64 men and women, although not all are bowlers. The match for the Dickson Bowl against Ellesmere, which was postponed because of the weather last Saturday, may be held on March 23 at Southbridge. This is a tentative date. Games in the Open Pairs which were to have been played at St Albans on Saturday will now be played at Burnside. The St Albans club 1* playing against Allenton. Eight dub* have tied for the Robinson Shield and this necessitates a play off. The duh* are Canterbury, Shirley, Linwood, Papanui, Mona Vale, New Brighton, Mt Pleasant and Riccarton Racecourse. It 1* regretted that a regular contributor to this column, Mr T. B. Lane of Fendalton, is no longer able to supply news from that club because of unforeseen circumstances. More Students (N.Z. Pr«t« Association) DUNEDIN. February 6. The University of Otago expects 1000 new students this year, raising the total roll to about 4500. Final figure* will be uncertain till after the registration of students late this month.